Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm

Demon King.

That was the truth about Byeok Jisang that I had heard from Zhuge Sa. Byeok Jisang stared at me without any change in expression even after hearing my words, and I felt a chill from that gaze. I hadn't realized it before, but now I could perceive that his eyes were overflowing with boundless five desires and seven emotions. No—even more devoid of emotion than the White Lotus Leader himself, they simply observed the phenomena before him.

The gaze of an absolute being!

The existence known as "Byeok Jisang" slowly opened his mouth.

"A state where souls coexist is unpleasant to behold. I shall provide you with a temporary body."

"What?"

Byeok Jisang pointed at a spot in the empty air with his finger.

Rumble...

"......!!"

Soon after, Zhuge Sa opened his eyes in the temporary body. He had transformed from mud into a human in a single instant.

I gaped in disbelief. No matter how I looked at it, it was a human body through and through, but how mud from the ground had gathered to form a human shape? It was an eerie sorcery beyond any human common sense. Zhuge Sa grinned and said to Byeok Jisang,

"Is it alright to expend your power like this? Seems a waste."

"Your state is a novel curiosity I've never seen. This much is nothing..."

Byeok Jisang replied nonchalantly before turning to me.

"Indeed. I am the founding cult leader of the Blazing Flower Cult."

"Hmm."

"Demon King... I rather like that appellation."

Byeok Jisang's true identity was finally revealed.

According to Zhuge Sa, the "Dao King Byeok Jisang" was merely a human shell used for outward appearances. His true self was the first cult leader of the Blazing Flower Cult, the master who had taught Zhuge Sa forbidden sorcery. Moreover, he was a being beyond humanity who had ascended through a massive ritual sacrifice in ancient times, becoming the lower demon god known as the Demon King.

He was said to be immensely famous in the Western Regions, especially in demonic path circles, where his true name was the stuff of legends.

Yet I could scarcely believe it even seeing it with my own eyes. Extracting Zhuge Sa's soul effortlessly and crafting a new body was an astonishing feat of sorcery, but even so, it was hard to accept that the figure before me was a monster who had lived over two thousand years, existing since the dawn of civilization.

Regardless of my thoughts, Byeok Jisang spoke in a dry tone.

"I shall take your arrival here as intent to uphold the contract with me."

Contract!

At the word, Zhuge Sa responded.

"The form matters little. If you can make this temporary body permanent, the original terms would suit, but that's not possible, is it?"

"No. The body will last a day at most. Afterward, your souls will share as before."

Zhuge Sa muttered bitterly.

"Kekehe... With your authority, permanence should be trivial. How stingy."

"Offer a sacrifice."

I felt a sudden chill at Byeok Jisang's calm reply.

[Offer a sacrifice. That is the foundation.]

The fundamental demand of Mangryang Seonsa and all manner of gods alike. It was the offering of sacrifices! The most basic ritual for gaining divine favor or blessings, yet conversely, a mindset only a god could possess. I intuitively sensed that the Byeok Jisang before me was a divine being—or something close to it.

Zhuge Sa said,

"Forget the sacrifice. You can craft a replacement body anyway. More importantly, I'd like to alter the contract."

"How?"

"Give the position of current cult leader to this Baek Woong."

"What?"

At the abrupt declaration, I stared at Zhuge Sa in shock.

"What are you talking about? Wasn't your contract to serve under Byeok Jisang after death as the Blazing Flower Cult leader? Why pass it to me?"

Indeed. According to Zhuge Sa, his contract with Byeok Jisang stipulated that upon death, he would enter his service and work for him. The contract's confirmation was set for the next auspicious date, when Zhuge Sa would give his final assent.

Thus, if I hadn't come to the Frontier, it would be deemed a contract breach, leading to Byeok Jisang coming to kill me. For if there was no intent to fulfill it, he would eliminate the cult leader and reclaim the authority he had bestowed.

I'd dragged myself all the way to the Frontier just to avoid dying over someone else's mess, and now Zhuge Sa was handing me the cult leader position? My head spun, suspecting he'd stabbed me in the back, but Zhuge Sa chided me.

"You idiot. Even served on a platter, you bitch about it?"

"What?"

"Only as cult leader can you access the exclusive privilege of swiftly cultivating the Soul Separation Great Law with your talents. Were you really planning to train it with your own piss-poor aptitude...?"

......

Irritation surged within me, but I barely regained my composure.

"A privilege?"

Zhuge Sa suddenly spoke politely to Byeok Jisang.

"The contract bearer has changed, so please explain the terms to Baek Woong."

"You mean it, then."

Byeok Jisang glanced at me and said,

"Baek Woong. The contract is as follows. The next Blazing Flower Cult leader shall wield my authority and demonic power, with enhanced aptitude in the demonic path and sorcery. They may also employ the secret arts passed solely to cult leaders. In exchange, upon the cult leader's death, their soul belongs to me and shall serve me eternally."

Ugh...

I grimaced. No matter how I sliced it, it was a vile deal: immense power and authority in this life, in exchange for becoming a slave to an evil god after death. As I opened my mouth to protest, Zhuge Sa interjected.

"Let us modify the contract slightly. The soul that belongs to you shall be mine, not Baek Woong's."

"Is that acceptable?"

Zhuge Sa smirked.

"Of course. Your goal is to build your own pantheon to rival the higher [Ancient Rulers], isn't it? I'd be far more useful than this fool."

True enough.

They treated me like a moron, but I couldn't interject. Zhuge Sa was handing me the favorable terms while choosing to become the evil god's slave after death. In disbelief, I stared at him.

"Zhuge Sa. What's your angle?"

"My angle?"

"You're not the type to do anything just for my benefit. Spill your scheme!"

As I bellowed, Zhuge Sa shrugged.

"I had no lingering attachment to life anyway. And after reading your memories, I realized this life held even less meaning. So I figured clearing a debt in your heart wouldn't hurt. Don't get the wrong idea."

A sudden realization struck me. Cautiously, I countered,

"A debt... What if I ignore it?"

Zhuge Sa chuckled wickedly.

"If you were that meanness, you wouldn't have made it this far. You'd be some local overlord by now, basking in wives, concubines, wealth, and glory. I know repaying what you receive—petty as it is—is your core trait. Good or bad..."

......

"The choice is yours. What will it be, Baek Woong?"

I pondered. Byeok Jisang and Zhuge Sa's gazes fixed on me. After much deliberation, I said,

"I can't proceed with the contract like this!"

Byeok Jisang's impassive gaze settled on me.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't believe you're the being called the Demon King, Byeok Jisang. If you're truly that mighty, show me your power! Only then can I believe."

Byeok Jisang crossed his arms and said,

"Not difficult. How shall I demonstrate?"

"Well..."

As I started to speak, Zhuge Sa urgently sent me a mental message.

[You fool! Shut your mouth!]

[What?]

[Do you think this existence is as benevolent to humans as the Great Heavenly Immortal? The fallen archon feared even by the Wandering Hebrews? The monster who massacred millions as king of heretics?]

Zhuge Sa pressed his intent fiercely.

[This being is the pinnacle of what humans can achieve on the demonic path. Every word and action of yours demands a horrific price! If you're spouting nonsense, shut it! You could end up his eternal slave!!]

......

[You've triggered the Law of Karma!]

A chill ran down my spine. Byeok Jisang's essence seemed to be that of a terrifying evil god. One wrong word, and we'd get nothing but ruin. Waving my hands, I said,

"No... never mind."

The term "Law of Karma" terrified me.

"Shall we proceed with the contract, then?"

"Yes, please."

I decided to follow Zhuge Sa's lead for now. I felt manipulated, but my gut screamed that mishandling Byeok Jisang would spell disaster. If Zhuge Sa was minor evil, Byeok Jisang was an indescribable colossal evil. Then Byeok Jisang smiled faintly and said,

"Doubt is quite displeasing. If you insist, I shall provide proof of my identity."

Zhuge Sa cried out hastily.

"No need! Cease at once!"

Rumble...

"Huh!"

Suddenly, Byeok Jisang's form dispersed. As if no such human had ever existed, it disintegrated and vanished without trace. Instead, the black particles composing his body flowed like a river toward the altar.

A profane chant of darkness echoed like a beast's howl. I instinctively knew it was no human tongue, but closer to the language of alien races.

Darkness gradually thickened, dense demonic energy beginning to erode the space. From within that darkness, the being called "Byeok Jisang" murmured,

[Black goat of the forest who commands the offspring of Qi Tian... Hear our plea...]

The ominous incantation continued.

[Bestow the power of fertility and abundance upon this land.]

Flash—

A massive vortex of dark light surged outward from the shrine. Moments later, the darkness subsided, and I felt myself sharing someone's vision—a divine power beyond my will.

Ooooo...

From high in the heavens, I watched the vast lands called the Frontier succumb to primordial night. When darkness settled on the barren highlands, pitch-black shadows sprouted forth. Demonic seeds germinated, birthing monstrous entities that greedily devoured the earth's qi.

The world darkened.

From the unfathomable horrifying dark heavens, a profane curse flowed.

Boom...

With an earthquake, tectonic shifts descended upon the Frontier. The boundless lands spanning thousands of li cried out as they became the domain of demons. I even felt the dark minions sprouting and growing of their own accord.

This place was no longer human territory. Nature had lost its power, absorbed into the domain of a great existence.

Watching the scene, Zhuge Sa snapped at me irritably.

"You damned fool! Think that's all there is to see? How could anyone wielding an Outer God's incantation be human? That's the pinnacle of the demonic path—the Demon King!"

Zhuge Sa suddenly shouted,

"@#&$*&q! Cease the Goat's incantation! Or I summon the Lord of the Great Abyss!!"

The title Zhuge Sa used for Byeok Jisang was some bizarre word. Likely his true name in darkness. The threat worked; the shared vision ended as the vast darkness receded. The primordial night devouring thousands of li of Frontier lands dissipated almost simultaneously.

Sss...

Before I knew it, Byeok Jisang's human form stood there once more. His expressionless cold beauty was the same, but I could no longer see him as human. Merely something wearing human skin.

Indeed.

He had whimsically donned a human shell, but his essence was that of the demonic king, infinitely close to the [Ancient Rulers]. Not even the White Lotus Leader or Twelve Laws could guarantee victory over this monster. As I swallowed hard, Byeok Jisang said tonelessly,

"You have no fear. To dare invoke an ancient god before me."

Zhuge Sa had already drawn the pentagram of the ancient god on the hand with his own blood. It seemed Zhuge Sa's counter-threat had halted the incantation. Tense as never before, Zhuge Sa gritted his teeth and said,

"You're the fearless one. The other rulers won't sit idle if they learn you've invaded their domains."

"Few dare challenge the authority of the Outer God, Black Goat. So long as they don't presumptuously invoke ancient gods like you."

"Kekeke! Pretending to serve the Phantom Flame Spirit only to switch allegiances..."

Byeok Jisang ignored Zhuge Sa's mockery and stared at me blankly.

"What say you? Will you make the contract?"

"Yes."

I realized I had no choice.

[Refuse, and we die.]

The moment we refused the contract, Zhuge Sa and I were worthless human trash to Demon King Byeok Jisang. As retribution for interrupting his ritual, he would unleash horrific curses and sorcery to torment us.

Until I gathered all Seven Essentials, I had no means to resist a lower [Ancient Ruler] who wielded Outer God power. To avoid a miserable death, I had to establish a symbiotic relationship for now.

Moments later, Byeok Jisang finalized the contract, turned his head, and said,

"Until next time."

Whoosh!

Byeok Jisang scattered into black dust as before. It was no divine technique or lightness skill—pure alien sorcery. No human.

[Until next time' means after death, surely.]

A thoroughly unsettling farewell. After Byeok Jisang vanished, Zhuge Sa sighed and said to me,

"This body will fade soon. Check if you've properly received the cult leader's authority first."

"I feel the blessing, but it's not sinking in."

Zhuge Sa pressed his forehead to mine and said,

"Extract the Po soul."

Following his instructions, I performed the technique to draw out the Po soul. Unlike before, where it stuttered, it flowed out smoothly in one clean pull. Impressed by the vast improvement, Zhuge Sa explained,

"Every Blazing Flower Cult leader has been exploited by that existence. To grow strong quickly, gather followers, and collect sacrifices, they receive this aptitude-enhancing blessing."

"I see."

It made sense. Byeok Jisang, a primordial demonic sorcerer, had founded the heretical Blazing Flower Cult, crafting plausible doctrines to spread it.

[A monster of utmost evil.]

When cult leaders hired followers with sweet words, he reaped the benefits without lifting a finger, offering tribute to [Ancient Rulers] to amass power. After millennia, he contracted an Outer God, discarding his humanity to ascend as an evil god. Byeok Jisang embodied nameless colossal evil.

"Your shitty talents should be somewhat better now."

As I replied, something occurred to me.

"Byeok Jisang became a demon god as a human, right? So he's on par with Qin Shi Huang who crossed to the Dark Fragrance Realm via the Sealed Ascension Rite, or the Spatial Heaven Martial Emperor?"

"Something like that. The difference lies in the rank of the contracted [Ancient Ruler]."

Plop...

Zhuge Sa's body began losing vitality, turning back to mud. Soon, it dispersed, his soul returning to coexist within me.

[This cuts Soul Separation Great Law training from two hundred years to about thirty. Offer sacrifices in rituals, and it could drop to ten.]

......

It didn't sound like teasing, but it irked me. Before I could complain, Zhuge Sa said,

[What are you doing? No time to waste. Summon the Four Non-Images and head to Seven Corpses Village.]

"What?"

His follow-up was spot-on, leaving me speechless.

[Don't we need to revive Yi Cheong-un?]

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